Method of making instrument scales by photography



" Nov. 3, 1942. J. R. PATTEE 2,300,803

METHOD OF MAKING INSTRUMENT SCALES BY PHOTOGRAPHY Filed Aug. 17, 1959 2 SheetsSheet 1 Mov/n Sysfm INVENTOR NOV. 3,1042; .1. R. PATTEE 2,300,803

METHOD OF MAKING INSTRUMENT SCALES BY PHOTOGRAPHY Filed Aug. 17, 1939 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 F fl/ffl/J/hg 6/5755 20 29 222 g Fig. 2 33w INVENTOR MwZm/wt W,

Patented Nov. 3, 1942 METHOD OF MAKING INSTRUMENT SCALES BY PHOTOGRAPHY John Robert Pattee, Essex, Conn;

mesne assignments, to Thomas A. Ediso corporated, West Orange, N. 1., a

or New Jersey assignor, by

In corporation Application August 11, 1939, Serial No. 290.530 momma 13-151) My present invention relates to the method or and means for making calibrated scales for measuring instruments and aims to provide certain improvements therein.

The usual method of making accurate scales for measuring instruments calibrated against standards is to mark on a blank scale with a pencil or scribe a number of major points obtained by comparison with standards, which points constitute the main divisions of the scale; the minor divisions being filled in by hand between the major points.

Some of the objections to this method are: (l) the observations and markings of the calibrator and the work of the draitsman are subject to error; (2) interpolationoi the minor divisions requires judgment and skill, especially if these divisions are not uniform; (3) where a, scale is desired which is to be magnified to increase the accuracy oi reading, it may have to be too small to be drawn by hand: and .(4) the method is laborious and requires considerable skill to produce accuracy and neatness.

The present invention seeks to avoid the aforementioned difllculties and to provide calibrated scales for measuring instruments having a greater degree of accuracy than has been heretofore possible of production.

According to the present invention the scale is calibrated by photography. In producing such scale the scale blank is first coated with a pho;- tographic emulsion, and for each division line required, the corresponding quantity is applied to the instrument to deflect it. A beam of light is passed through an optical system, including 35 an element having a narrow slit or small aperture therein, so as to cast an image in the form of a line or other suitable mark upon the scale blank. When this has been done for every calibration point required, with identification numbers also photographed in where desired by the same process, and the scale blank has been developed in the usual manner, the result is a scale the precision of which is not limited to the skill of the scale maker.

' The invention and the manner in which it is carried out will be better understood from the detailed description which follows when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein- Figure 1 is a schematic arrangement of one method of making a calibrated dial scale according' to my invention, said ilgure being taken substantially along the line 1-4 of Fig. 2.

' adapted to deflect through an arc of substantial I "Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the instrument and the means shown in Fig. l, the shielding screen being however omitted.

Figs. 3.and 4 are a schematic elevation and a plan, respectively, of another embodiment oi my invention, applied to the method 0! making an arcuate scale for an instrument, the moving system of which is adapted to deflect only a few degrees.

Figs. 5 and 6 are arrangements analogous to Figs. 3 and 4 wherein the moving system is magnitude.

Fig. 7 is a rear elevation of a nwative for use in conjunction with the present invention.

Fig. 8 is a top plan view oi in Fig. 7.

Referring first to Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawings, the invention is shown as applied to a deflecting instrument It having a pointer ii forming part of a moving system, said pointer being adapted to move over a list scale II which might be the scale of a voltmeter, ammeter, dial type micrometer or the like. In making the scale for such instrument a small light card it with a iine slit ll therethrough is shown provisionally attached to the pointer, the indicating end of which is temporarily bent to one side so that the slit II will be in alignment with the pointer and function as the indicating end thereof.

Mounted on the card it is an adjustable slider 15 to vary the length of the slit It and thereby facilitate making division lines varying in length according to their importance.

To calibrate the scale it, which is initially blank and coated with a photo-sensitive emulsion, the pointer II is madeto deflect by subjecting the instrument to the eiIect of known quantities of whatever the particular instrument is intended to measure. These quantities must correspond to each of the required division lines" to be formed on the scale. Each time a known quantity is applied to the deflects to a certain position and this position is recorded on the photo-sensitive scale blank by the image formed thereon by shining a light through the slit, It. The llaht may come from a lamp it having a concentrated light source.

relatively far from the rotation axis instrument. The

the scale and preferably on of the moving system of the scale is normally completely shielded from the light by anadjustable screen i1, herein shown as disposed directly over the face of the instrument, the said screen having an opening ll through which the light from the source may reach the slit It in the card. The

the negative shown instrument the pointer light beam from the source will be permitted to momentarily fall upon the photo-sensitive surface each time the instrument is subjected to a known quantity or value. when the photosensitive surface of the scale I! has been exposed to the requisite number of divisions or able from and replaceable onto the pointe proper.

In the method and means disclosed in Figs. 3 to 8, the instruments disclosed are of the type wherein the moving system carries a rotatable mirror which forms part of an optical projection system. By these means a small, flnely graduated "scale can be made for viewing in much magnified form and the deflections of the instrument may thus be" read with high precision. Theoptlcal system employed is much like an ordinary photographic enlarger and consists of a, concentrated light soum 2|, a 'diflusing lens 2i, and a negative I! having a slit therein through which a line of light may be focused onto the concave mirror 28 mounted on a swiveling staff 24 of the moving system of the instrument and from there reflected onto a photo-sensitive surface 25 on an arcuate scale blank 2'.

In Figs. 5 and 6 I have shown the invention as applied to forming an arcuate scale of substantial magnitude. With such scale, in order to avoid stigmatic aberration, a flat mirror 21 is mounted on the swiveling stafl II and the optical system is supplemented by a condensing lens 2! and a positive obiective lens 10. The arcuate scale 30 is provided with a photo-sensitive surface as in Figs. 3 and 4.

In carrying out the invention with respect to types of scales as shown in Figs. 3 to 6, the rotating mirrors II and 21 are caused to reflect the beam or pencil of light reaching them through the slit in the negative 12, onto the photo-sensltive arcuate scale blank of the instrument. Preferably this is accomplished without varying the focus of the light from the source 20 to bring the image of the slit in the negative 22 to successive positions on the scale blank as the instrument is successively subjected to various known quantities or values. In making these successive exposures it will be understood that the beam of light is shut 05 while the instrument is deflecting, and is then flashed on for a flxed time. Any desired form of mechanism may be employed for accent- Di ching this.

In the carrying out of my invention it is highly desirable that the major divisions of the scale be provided with numerical indicia and that the minor divisions be set of! from the major divisions by lines of shorter length. I am enabled to accomplish these results by providing a negative, as shown in Iflgs. "I and 8, which consists of a flat element Ii having a slit I! therein, across which a slide member 33 is adapted to be moved within guideways II, the slide member 33 having portions of different width 38a, 33b, "c, which, when brought into overlying relation with the slit 8!,

varies the length thereof through which light from the source may pass. Also supported by the member ii and adiustably extending through the guideways 34 is a transparent fllm or strip I! having numerical indicia thereon which may be brought into position above the slit 32 whereat the member" II is formed with a window 36, so that light shining therethrough from the source will form on the photo-sensitive scale blank numerical values corresponding to the major divisions of the scale being formed, simultaneously with the formation of said major division lines. tating adjustment of the slide 33 its ends are 0!!- set, as indicated at 33d.

Instrument scales made in accordance with the methods disclosed in Figs. 3 to 6, like that of Figs. 1 and 2 may have to be removed from the instrument and developed to fix the scale markings thereon, after which said scales are replaced within the instrument.

Instrument scales produced in accordance with the present invention, it will be understood, must of necessity be accurate for the particular instrument in which they are calibrated regardless of any peculiarity in the instrument itself. Scales so made are particularly valuable and accurate where the scale divisions are not uniform, for

' example, where the divisions follow in a logarithmic ratio and permit of ease and accuracy in reading the scale either directly, as in Figs. 1 and 2, or indirectly through mirror reflection, with scales as disclosed in Figs. 3 to 6.

In the foregoing detailed description certain preferred embodiments of my invention have been explained. It is to be understood, however, that the invention is not to be considered as limited to the. specific methods herein disclosed or the arrangement of parts employed, since these may be varied within the range of engineering skill without departing from the spirit of the invention. Accordingly, the foregoing disclosure is merely exemplary and is not to be considered as limiting, other than by the scope of the appended claims. Q

What I claim is:

1. A method of making a calibrated scale for an instrument having a moving system, which comprises providing the instrument with a blank scale having a photo-sensitive surface. applyin to the instrument a succession of known quantlties of whatever the instrument is intended to measure thereby causing the moving system to successively deflect to points corresponding to said applied known quantities. controlling a light source so that it forms an image on the photosensitive surface of the blank scale for each position to which the moving system of the instrument has been deflected by the known quantities applied thereto, and fixing the light-exposed points on the scale.

2. A method of making a calibrated scale for an instrument having a moving system, which comprises providing the instrument with a blank scale having a photo-sensitive surface, applying the instrument a succession of known quantities of whatever the instrument is intended to measure thereby causing the moving system to successively deflect to points corresponding to said applied known quantities, exposing the photo-sensitive surface of the blank scale to a division-mark image of light for each position to which the moving system of the instrument has been deflected by the known quantities applied thereto, and fixing the light-exposed marks on the scale.

For facili- 3. A method of making a calibrated scale for an instrument having a moving system, which comprises providing the instrument with a blank" known quantities, selectively controlling through an optical projection system a beam of light so that line line images of different length will be formed on the photo-sensitive surface of the blank scale to provide the major and minor divisions to which the moving system of the instrument has been deflected by the known quantities applied thereto, and fixing the light-exposed lines of different length on the scale.

4. A method of making a calibrated scale according to claim 2, wherein images of identifying numerical values are selectively formed on the blank scale simultaneously with certain of the division mark images.

5. A method of making a calibrated scale for an instrument having a moving system, which comprises providing the instrument with a blank scale having a photo-sensitive surface in the instrument,-applying to the instrument a succession of known quantities of whatever the instrument is intended to measure thereby causing the moving system to successively deflect to points corresponding to said applied known quantities, transmitting light images on the surface of the blank scale in accordance with the respective positions to which the moving system of the instrument has been deflected by the known quantities applied thereto, and fixing the lightexposed images on the scale.

6. A method of making a calibrated scale according to claim 5, wherein the light images are formed by passing light through means carried by the moving-system of the instrument.

'7. A method of making a calibrated scale according to claim 5, wherein the light images are reflected onto the photo-sensitive scale surface from a mirror carried rotatably by the moving system of the instrument.

8. Calibrating means for a measuring instru- I ment which has a moving system, comprising a photogsensitive blank scale mounted on said instrument; a source of light; and means operatively interposed between said light source and scale to form an image of light from said source...

and apply the same onto said scale-,--said means being operatively associated with the moving system of said instrument to cause each image applied onto said scale tube at a position corresponding to the position assumed by the moving system when the system is subjected to a known quantity of whatever the instrument is intended to measure. a

9. The combination according to claim 8, wherein the means which is operatively interposed between the scale and light source includes a member having a fine siit-thereinand adjustable means for varying the @length 0! said slit through which light from the [source may pass.

10. The combination" a'corliin'g to claim 8, wherein the. means which isiopera'tively interposed between the scale and light source includes a member having a window opening and screen adjustable in said opening having identifying characters thereon to be protographed upon the blank scale. a

1i. Calibrating means for a measuring instrument which has a moving system adapted to deflect, in accordance with known quantities applied thereto, comprising a photo sensitive blank scale mounted on said instrument; a source 0! light; a negative exposed to said light source for providing a light image to lie-photographed on said scale; and means controlled by said moving system to cause said light image to be ap plied onto said scale at a position corresponding to the amount of deflection of the system,

12. Calibrating means for a measuring instrument which has a moving system adapted to defleet in accordance with known quantities ap' plied thereto, comprising a photo-sensitive blank scale mounted on said instrument; a source of light; means exposed to said source to form and a mirrorcontrolled for reflecting said light amounts of deflection of the moving system.

JOHN ROBERT Parfait. 

